


Requesting a Favor

by Rivulet027



Series: 100 Fandoms Challenge [10]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Background Relationships, Developing Friendships, Family Feels, Friendship, Gen, POV Mace Windu, Secrets, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:06:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23241445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027
Summary: Mace wants to ask Cham Syndulla if he'd be willing to house a time traveling Wedge Antilles and Jacen Syndulla.
Relationships: Cham Syndulla & Mace Windu
Series: 100 Fandoms Challenge [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1720615
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29
Collections: The 100 Multifandom Challenge, fan_flashworks





	Requesting a Favor

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Star Wars. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.
> 
> A/N: Written for the fan_flashworks prompt circle and the 100 fandoms prompt hope. Background mentions of Cham/Tislera, Mace & Depa & Caleb. Also mentions that Kanan/Hera have a kid that time traveled. Two character deaths are discussed, but only briefly. PTSD is also mentioned, but not gone to in depth.

Cham Syndulla’s home is larger than Mace anticipated. Ryloth seems to be doing better than the last time he’d been sent to help them fight the Separatists, but looking at the larger structure Mace can’t help but wonder what fortifications have been built into it. Cham meets him at the door. His smile is warm, but Mace can feel the worry and suspicion underneath.

“My daughter is convinced you’ve come to take her astromech away,” Cham tells him after they’ve exchanged pleasantries. Mace arches an eyebrow. The astromech, he’s only briefly read about the astromech. Cham continues. “I told her it was probably something more serious than a droid she hasn’t gotten working yet. Still she pulled it out of a crashed Y-wing and is worried.”

Cham glances to the side where a small green face is peeking out from behind a pillar. Her eyes widen and she ducks back out of view.

“Do we know what happened to the pilot and gunner?” Mace asks, ready to face this concern before he segues into the reason for his visit.

“It looks like the gunner ejected. The pilot wasn’t so lucky, but his body was collected by his battalion. The droid was determined to be too damaged and left behind,” Cham informs him while keeping the pitch of his voice one that’s meant to carry.

Mace takes his cue from Cham and makes sure his tone carries as he reassures Cham he’s not here to take the droid his daughter is rebuilding. If the future that’s recorded in the datapads that Mace has been going over comes to be Hera and Chopper are going to be critical to saving several people. Mace drops his voice lower, meant only for Cham’s ears, “I have come to ask for a favor, but I need to keep the circle of who knows very small.”

Cham regards him for a quiet moment. He clearly wants to be able to help. There’s still a mutual respect between the two of them, but Cham’s duty is to his people first.

“I will try not to ask too much of you,” Mace reassures. “But something has happened. I’d be remiss if I didn’t inform you and we could use an outside perspective and strategy to tackle this.”

“I do not intend to leave Ryloth.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to.”

Cham nods. “We still understand each other. Good. I have an office, but first, would you like some tea?”

It’d be rude to refuse. “I’d enjoy that, thank you.”

As they head towards the kitchen Cham wraps a conspiratorial arm around Mace as he leans in close to inform him, “The office remains under surveillance, but the kitchen, there’s no surveillance allowed in the kitchen.”

“I could take care of that for you,” Mace offers.

Cham shakes his head. “No. My government worries I will become an extremist. After all I have this large ‘compound’ and who knows what I might do with it.”

“From what I understand you’ve been using your resources to help other Twi’leks get back on their feet.”

“Mostly Twi’leks,” Cham nods as he lets go of Mace and continues to show him where the kitchen is. “A few clones for a time. We had a Wookiee for a few months. He checks in once a month, and drops off supplies every few months. Our daughters get along. There are a few humans currently, but you’re right it’s mostly Twi’leks.”

Mace finds himself considering if traveling here with Jinx and O’Mer might be healing for the two teenagers. They’ve both been reluctant to leave the temple on Coruscant since being rescued. They might feel safe here and helping Cham with relief efforts for Ryloth may give them back a sense of purpose. It’s something to discuss with Cham before leaving, but he needs to address the situation that brought him here first.

He settles in on a high chair that Cham indicates, resting his hands on top of the island. Cham paused by a wall and starts a sweeping system to make sure they aren’t being listened to before he fills a teapot with water and settles it on the stove. Then he takes a chair across from Mace.

“I admit I’m curious to find out what brought you're here,” Cham admits.

Mace raises an eyebrow and indicates that the computer isn’t done clearing the room. Cham smiles. His smile grows when the computer beeps and indicates the room is safe. Cham raises his eyebrows expectantly. Mace’s lips curl upwards.Then he takes a slow breath. “I am well aware that what I’m about to tell you will sound preposterous, but Master Plo and Commander Wolffe found two time travelers at a Jedi temple.”

The tea kettle whistles. Cham stands with a sigh. “If your Force was kind it would be Master Di and Captain Keeli. I would not believe it would be my son, nor do I believe you’ve come to tell me it’s any of these people.”

“No. I’m still sorry the supplies didn’t get to your family in time to save your son.”

Cham nods. “Thank you.”

His face goes tight with grief for a moment before he turns to fix them both cups of tea. Mace takes his with a murmur of thanks as he wraps his hands around the warmth of the cup. He lets himself enjoy the fragrance for a moment before he admits, “I’ve struggled with how to tell you this.”

“Ryloth?”

“You still fight for Ryloth.”

“Still?” Cham prompts. “Just how far in the future did these time travelers come from?”

“About twenty-four years.”

“At least tell me it’s not the same war.”

“There’s a timeline,” Mace informs him. “It’s muddled, but it’s as thorough as the intelligence officer who put it together could get when history has been mostly replaced with propaganda. The Republic becomes an Empire…”

Cham makes a dissatisfied noise. He sits back and takes a deep breath. “I’ll save my questions for when you’ve finished.”

“I’ve brought a copy with me,” Mace attempts to reassure before he continues. “There are details I’ll leave out for now because it’s the time travelers themselves that are important, but I wanted to give you context first.”

Cham nods his agreement, then takes a sip of his tea.

“The Jedi are slaughtered at about the same time the Empire comes into power,” Mace manages. The words are hard to say. Cham sets his mug down and stares at him. Mace pushes himself to continue because he can see Cham holding back his questions. “The woman I taught, Master Billaba recently took a padawan, Caleb Dume. He manages to survive. He later forms a team with your daughter, Hera, and her astromech, a C1-10P.”

Cham’s hands flatten against the counter between them and his eyes widen slightly. “I didn’t tell you which astromech she rescued. I don’t suppose your records are that thorough?”

“I didn’t look at the records.”

“My daughter?”

Mace shakes his head. “Her son. Her and Caleb’s four year old son.”

“Please tell me they sent an adult with him.”

“A pilot, Wedge Antilles,” Mace tells him. He stares down at his tea as he reminds himself that he left Wedge in Obi-Wan’s care. “He’s been through a lot. He’s not well.”

“Injured?”

Mace taps his head.

Cham makes a worried noise. “Not all scars are physical.”

“No, they’re not,” Mace agrees.

“I should get Tislera. She’ll want...what’s his name?”

“Jacen Syndulla.”

Cham’s lips curl upwards. “Do you have a holo?”

Mace fishes the device out of an inner pocket of his robe and places it on the island, pressing a button so it will project. Still smiling, Cham tilts his head, scrutinizing the image of Wedge holding Jacen.

Then beaming he looks up at Mace. Mace raises an eyebrow. Cham smirks slightly, “If I understand your traditions then I believe this means we’re family.”

Mace can’t help the soft smile that graces his face. It would be easy to tell Cham how bright and enthusiastic Jacen is. “You would be correct.”

“We could hide them here easily. Jacen looks human enough. If we dye his hair the same color as Wedge’s we could probably even pass them off as a pair: siblings or parent and child.”

“I was hoping you’d let me bring them here,” Mace agrees. “That was the favor I came to ask. The temple they’re at is used mostly as a retreat. If we keep coming and going from there it will cease to serve that function.”

Cham smiles and nods. Then he starts to ask, “Does Jacen...no I should get Tislera, my wife should be part of the planning. She’s often skilled at seeing the flaws in the one I make and she should know about her grandchild.”

“Thank you.”

Cham reaches out and squeezes his hand. “Even if we weren’t family I would still want to offer my help if I could. I’ll be right back and then I’m sure we’ll have lots of planning to do.”

“And questions,” Mace adds.

“That too,” Cham agrees, before he gives Mace one more smile and heads out of the kitchen.

Pleased Mace picks up his tea. This is going better than he had hoped. He’s been hoping that Cham would agree to house Wedge and Jacen and want to meet his grandchild. To be considered family too makes Mace smile against the lip of his cup. He can always use more family.


End file.
